In recent times, there has been a rapid increase in use of technologies such as virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality, and so forth, for presenting a simulated environment (or a simulated world) to a user. Typically, the user uses a specialized device (for example, such as a virtual reality device, an augmented reality device, a mixed reality device, and the like) for experiencing such a simulated environment. In use, the user generally wears (namely, supports) the specialized device on his/her head.
Nowadays, such specialized devices often employ a technique such as gaze-tracking (namely, eye tracking) to determine a gaze direction of the user. Typically, the gaze-tracking is associated with determination of position of pupils of the user's eyes. Generally, an illumination source is employed for emitting light towards the user's eyes, and an imaging device is employed for capturing an image depicting reflection(s) of the emitted light from the user's eyes. Furthermore, the reflection(s) of the emitted light from the user's eyes is used as a frame of reference for determining the position of the pupils of the user's eyes with respect thereto.
However, there exist limitations associated with implementation of such gaze-tracking techniques. As an example, the existing imaging devices are limited in their ability to fully focus all regions of the user's eye in the captured image. Typically, the imaging devices focus light travelling through different optical distances with different sharpness. Therefore, the imaging devices often precisely focus light emanating from only one region of the user's eye at a given time. In such a case, the focused region and regions proximal thereto are captured with substantial sharpness and clarity in the captured image whereas other region(s) of the user's eye appear blurred in the captured image. In an example, regions substantially corresponding to the pupils of the user's eyes may be well-focused whilst other regions of the user's eyes may appear blurred in the captured image. Such blurriness within the captured images of the user's eyes severely limits accuracy of the determined gaze direction of the user.
Therefore, in light of the foregoing discussion, there exists a need to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks associated with conventional equipment and techniques for gaze-tracking.